Rest-producing structure



. MADDEN REST PRODUCING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-19. 1921- Patented- May 9, 1922.

' AR-1i r. Mania-En, orcirrcasog ILLINOIS.

- EEST-PRODUCINGQ S'llbUCCtURE, u

intense;

allwhomit may/100mm:

Be it lmown that I, MA K F, M DbEn, a

, citizen of the United States, vresiding at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State o'f Illinois, have invented anew and usefulI'In- Drovement in Rest-Producing Structures, of which the following is a specification.

As. a premise to the following it may be stated that oftentimes a personlyingin bed is subjected to more or less discomfort, and.

oftentimes pain, byreason of the pressing, by the weight of the body, of certain portions thereof, against themattress portion of the bed, this occurring sometimes because such portions of the patient alone constitute the points of support of the person, some times because theipressure is'unequally dis tribiuted and is exerted to a greater degree on certain portions of the person, and some'- times because pressure to any degree is, exerted on certain portions of a person. 'Thus by way of sample, the foot of a person, when lying on its side, pressesunequally on the mattress portion of the bed',-'the pressure being borne by relatively restricted areas of the foot, more particularly the ankle-bone and the side of the ball of an outer toe; also the legs, trunk and head of a person, when lying down, because of -the factthatf such portions of the person do not extend normally in aplane surface, are 'sub eCted to pressure, and certainportions thereofeither to the exclusion of, or to a greater degree than, other portions.

It is my primary object to provide for the relieving of persons from CllSCOIIlfOI'll or pain resulting from'conditions such as those above stated. In accordance with my invention the means provided for the'purpose above stated may be, at least 'so far as certain portions of the person are concerned, provided either as a structure which is supported on the mattress portion of the bed without attachment to the person, or, and

probably preferably in most cases, provided as a casing in the nature of a garment which issecured about the portlon, or portlons, of

the person which with it..

In the accompanying. drawing I have it is desired shall cooperate shown the said means as in the nature of a garment, F lgure l of the drawings showing, by a view in front elevation, a person with the garment embodying my invention applied thereto; Figure 2, a similar view with the garment vertically sectioned; and

e Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d yg, 1922; Application I filed 1 October 19, 1 92 serial a 598,739,

Fig, 31st,idetailsection mn ain edsaie of ayportio'n fof the structure over, a super;

sensitive portion of the "body of thewea'rer;

T'In the dr win jwhichf is presentedjjby way of'eXamp'le of the manner ofpracticfng my invention, the structure comprises 7 a casing section 3 which maybe of any-suit I able-material which is preferably flexible and very soft, as for examplesilk, whichis made to present the body portion4 atyvhicl'1 it surrounds the trunk of the person, leg 'portion's 5 to receive ,tllep'ersons legs, and foot portions 6, which surround the persons feet.

Thecasing 3 contains padding-represented at 7, of any" suitable soft material, such as that commonly used as the/padding for insoles of shoes, but preferably so prepared as to be very fluffy and less liable'to' become in compact condition," this padding being so disposed in the casing thatit will present cushioning body eitherto effectthe entire relief, of any portion, or portions, of the person, as desired, from pressure exerted against such portion, or portions, when the drawing, the padding would be providedffof such varying thicknesses at different parts of the person,asfor example as illustrated at Swvhere it extends adjacent the persons' ferrin'g to the illustration.presented'by the waistv whereby undesired] pressure against the hip-bones is avoided and at 9 vvhere it extends adjacent the kneesof theiperson and at 10 where it extends adjacent the ankle bones, as to fill in the depressions. of

the body and beqrelatively'thin' at the projecting portions thereof, and either'vvholly remove pressurefrom the portions of the person desired to be relieved of the pressure against the person, asjdesired Asregards theprovisionofthe padding for the feet of a person, reference is hereto made t'o my depending: application: for- United States patent on foot' gear which illustrates in a more detailed manner than the accompanying present application, the disposition of the persons feet. v

The casing 3 may be made up in any desirable Way, it being shown as slit along the padding material for the sure as at 14:, Fig. 3, or distribute the presr 5 front side of the garment as indicated at 11, i2 and 13, cord or tape ld being shown for securing the garment upon the person, the cord or tape engaging the free edges of the casing at the slotted portions thereof referred to.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the padding would also ex tend across the back of the person and if desired across the front portion thereof, and so disposed as to distribute the pressure, as desired, against the person in lying down, eitherto relieve certain portions of the personfentirely from pressure or to effect a distribution of pressure otherwise than occurs normally when a person is lying down.

It will also be understood that the padding structure may be carried up farther than shown in the drawing, even to the extent of extending over the head of the person, to the same general end as hereinbefore explained.

The padding means instead of being pro- I vided for application to the person as shown,

may be provided as a structure to be laid upon the bed, in fiatwise condition, with the padding so disposedthat when the person is lying upon it, it will effect a distribution of pressure against the person, otherwise than as normally occurs when a person is lyin'g'on a bed. Thus, by way of example, the padding at one. marginal side portion of the padding means may be so disposed as to cooperate, in the manner above stated, with the person when lying thereon at one side and the padding at the opposite mar ginal portion of the padding means be so disposed that it will cooperate with the other side of the person when lying on his side and the padding at the central portion of thepadding means so disposed that when the person islying on his back it will cooperate in the desired manner with this portion of the person.

The padding would be so provided that it willmaintain the predetermined position in which it is provided, as by stitching 'it to the casing 3.

I It is desirable that the padding structure at its exterior surface present substantially straight, or plain, side portions as shown in the drawing, so that when the person is lying on a bed the padding structure will extend substantially fiatwise against the mattress portion of the bed. I

It will be appreciated that by utilizing my invention a person in lying down is rendered more comfortable, particularly where the person has sore spots which would be subjected to such pressure, normally, as

to create discomfort or pain, such, as for example, in the case of rheumatism, bed sores, and foot afflictions.

l/Vhere the. person is not afflicted' with sore spots and where the padding means would be employed merely as a means of distributing the pressure more uniformly over the portions of the person opposing the mattress part of the'bed than normally occurs, to render the person comfortable the padding would be sodisposed that the pressure against the entire portions of the person opposing the mattress body would be substantially uniformly distributed over such portions.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be Variously modified and altered without departing from'the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

l. A. structure for the purpose set forth comprising a body of padding material hav ing an internal contour to fit portions of the body, external contour comprising a substantially regular surface adapted to contact uniformly with a flatsupporting sur face, and means to secure the structure upon the body, whereby undue pressure upon any part is eliminated and bed sores prevented.

2. A. structure for the purpose set forth comprising a body of padding material having an internal surface contoured to sub stantially'fit portions of the body, an external contour comprising a regular surface adapted to contact uniformly with a flat supporting surface, said internal surface having a depression opposite a supersensitive spot of the body to largely relieve the pressure thereon, and means to secure the structure upon the body, whereby undue pressure upon any part is eliminated and bed sores are prevented or cured.

3. A rest inducing garment comprising an internal padding having an internal contour adapted to fit the portion of the body upon which the garment is to be worn, and a substantially regular external surface, a casing covering said external surface, and means to secure the garment in place, whereby when the portion of the body wearing the garment is reclining the pressure thereon will be substantially uniform throughout its supported portion.

MARK F. MADDEN. 

